King Psusennes I (c. 1047–1001 BC), who ruled from Tanis during Egypt’s 21st Dynasty, is often remembered as the “Silver Pharaoh.” The title derives from the extraordinary silver coffin uncovered in his tomb at Tanis in 1939—a remarkable rarity in ancient Egypt, where silver was scarcer and considered more precious than gold.

Discovered by archaeologist Pierre Montet, the tomb of Psusennes I was lavishly furnished, recalling the splendor of Tutankhamun’s burial. Among its treasures were a silver coffin, a gold funerary mask, and exquisite jewelry, each attesting to the king’s wealth and status.

During his long reign of about 46 years, Psusennes I elevated Tanis into a prominent center of trade and culture. Despite the broader political fragmentation of the Third Intermediate Period, he sought to maintain stability in Lower Egypt.

His sumptuous burial and enduring monuments stand as testimony to both his personal authority and the relative decline of Egypt’s power in this era, when the kingdom’s former imperial grandeur had long diminished.